1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunless tanning substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sunless tanning substrate that includes one or more components that provide fast development of a uniform, more intense, long-lasting and natural looking tan with more predictable, i.e., customized color characteristics, when applied to skin.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,645,822 and 5,750,092 to Schering-Plough and European Patent Application No. 0 547 864 A1 describe attempts to provide sunless tanning. However, these and other approaches described in the art have certain drawbacks.
Products that are currently used for sunless tanning of the skin are based on the reaction of an active chemical present in the product with the skin's amino acids. Such chemicals are well known and include compounds having an aldehyde group, or compounds having a ketone group, such as, for example, dihydroacetone (DHA).
As an example, DHA gives skin a brownish color by reacting with the amino acids present in the sebum and stratum corneum by a known mechanism, namely the Maillard reaction.
Further, the distribution and nature of the amino acids is not uniform on the surface of the skin and as a result the intensity and shade of the color obtained may vary from one location to another on the treated skin, thereby causing the skin to have an uneven and/or unnatural look.
Further still, the duration of time required for development of skin color may be too long, which can lead to a decrease in the concentration of DHA on the surface of skin due to sweating or as a result of contact with clothing, thereby staining the clothing and resulting in an uneven color development on the skin.
It is very desirable to obtain a uniform and natural looking sunless tan over all skin surfaces that are treated with a sunless tanning composition that can develop color faster and last longer than formulations known in the art.
Thus, there is a need in the consumer products and cosmetic industry for a sunless tanning product that delivers increased tanning performance characteristics and eliminates the need for exposure to the damaging UV radiation from the sun for tanning. The present invention meets this need.